Defense Force to Enhance Professionalism through Reform

Addis Ababa December 14/2018 TheEthiopianNational Defense Force said the reform that it has introduced will help to enhance professionalism in the army.

In a joint press conference they gave yesterday, leadership of the Defense Force said that upholding professionalism in the army is among the key reform agendas.

Institutional impartiality of the defense force and its officers from any political view is also one principal aspect of the reform in ensuring professionalism in the military, they said.

The concept that loyalty of the army should be to the people and the constitution, not to the ruling party is among the reasons that makes reform mandatory in the military.

The reform, which is part of the sweeping reforms that the country has introduced, is expected to enable the defense force carry out its mission in a more sound way, they added.

They said that the reform is being underway within the context of the national security policy and strategy of the country.

Through the reform the Defense Forces has also restructured itself, which led to the downsizing of the number of military commands from six to four, named Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western commands.

The leadership indicated that the ongoing reform process is also aimed at reinstating a naval force as one entity under the defense force, though the country has no direct access to sea.

They pointed out that efforts are being exerted to ensure that the defense force is effectively undertaking its mission through the deployment of cyber security and up-to-date military technologies.

Ethiopia is ranked among the top countries in the world in troop contributions to international peacekeeping missions.

The country has sent peacekeepers to Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, Côte D’Ivoire, Liberia Somalia, South Sudan, Abyei and Darfur.

Ethiopian National Defense Force, which consumes less than 2 percent of the national budget, has developed a strong capacity in discharging its responsibilities.